Two members of the Undergraduate Advising Team in the College of Arts and Sciences at Texas A&M University have been selected to receive the 2024 President’s Award for Academic Advising.
Robyn Konrad, academic advisor IV for the Department of History and a 1999 Texas A&M history graduate, and Ziena Miller, manager for the Liberal Arts and Humanities Building (LAAH) Advising Center who advises students in the Departments of Anthropology and Philosophy, are among this year’s five campus-wide recipients of the award, which was established in 2004 to recognize outstanding individuals who exemplify the qualities and practices of exceptional academic advising and service to students.
Konrad, Miller and their fellow recipients each were recognized with a monetary award and a plaque, jointly presented by the Texas A&M Office for Student Success and University Advisors and Counselors leadership during the 2024 University Advisors and Counselors Awards Breakfast, held Friday (May 10) in the Memorial Student Center’s Bethancourt Ballroom.
Konrad originally worked in Texas A&M History as a student, joining the department's staff full time as an office assistant in 1997. She transitioned into academic advising in 2000, earning three subsequent promotions to reach her present rank attained earlier this year. As the face of Texas A&M History for current and prospective students and their families, Konrad's day-to-day responsibilities within the LAAH Advising Center are many, ranging from advising students and helping them with the registration process to holding degree planning workshops and reviewing students' progress to ensure it aligns with their academic goals. She also conducts New Student Conferences and serves as the departmental liaison with the LAUNCH/Honors program while also familiarizing students with available resources and opportunities, including the University Writing Center, Math Learning Center, Education Abroad and the Career Center. Her career awards include a 2002 Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Certificate of Appreciation, a 2005 College of Liberal Arts Superior Service Award and recognition in both 2015 and 2017 from the Don & Ellie Knauss Veteran Resource and Support Center.
Miller joined the Texas A&M staff in June 2019 as an academic advisor in the Department of Sociology. In February 2022, she was promoted to manager for undergraduate academic advising services at the college level. In addition to serving as an academic advisor to undergraduates in Anthropology and Philosophy, she supervises other advisors across the college and oversees operations within the LAAH Advising Center. Miller earned a bachelor’s degree in speech communication and rhetoric from Georgia Southern University in 2004 as well as a master’s in student affairs administration from Ball State University in 2006. Prior to coming to Texas A&M, she served one year as an AVID tutor for the Brenham Independent School District (2018-2019) after previously working in a variety of student affairs and residence life-related positions at both the University of Southern Indiana (2006-2009) and DePaul University (2009-2018).
To learn more about the President’s Award for Academic Advising and additional advising award recipients for 2024 as well as past years, visit the University Advisors and Counselors website.
Find additional information about the Undergraduate Advising Team within the College of Arts and Sciences.